Common Murre - Birds of California Paper Cups

Sleek and seabird-silent, the Common Murre is often called the “penguin of the north” for its upright posture and black-and-white plumage. Found off California’s rugged coastlines and rocky offshore islands, murres nest in dense colonies on narrow cliff ledges, diving deep to hunt fish in cold Pacific waters. Though often mistaken for penguins, they are agile fliers and powerful swimmers. This illustration captures the murre’s stark beauty and oceanic presence—part of the Birds of California collection from California Curated.